Abraham Hong
About Abraham Hong
Abraham Hong (age 53) has served as an independent director of The Joint Corp. since 2018. He is currently EVP and Chief Technology Officer at Learning Care Group, and previously held senior technology and operations roles at Technologent (COO), Discount Tire (EVP & CIO), Red Rock Resorts (SVP & CIO), and Starbucks (VP, Global IT Infrastructure & Technology Architecture). He holds a BE in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure / Dates | Committees / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Care Group | EVP & Chief Technology Officer | Current | Leads technology strategy, infrastructure, audit, cybersecurity, digital initiatives |
| Technologent | EVP & Chief Operations Officer | Jun 2020 – Aug 2021 | Oversaw strategy, HR, product development, audit, cybersecurity, service delivery |
| Discount Tire Company | EVP & Chief Information Officer | Aug 2017 – Feb 2020 | Led customer/back-office systems; digital technology strategy |
| Red Rock Resorts, Inc. | SVP & Chief Information Officer | Prior to 2017 | Modernized enterprise systems ahead of 2016 IPO; digital strategy |
| Starbucks Corp. | VP, Global IT Infrastructure & Technology Architecture | Prior | Led international IT; global POS/mobile rollout; multi-continent retail integration |
External Roles
| Organization Type | Company | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company board | — | — | Other public company boards: None |
| Private company | Learning Care Group | EVP & CTO | Early childhood education company |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined Mr. Hong is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; all non-employee directors are independent .
- Committee assignments (2024):
- Audit Committee – Member; all Audit members designated “audit committee financial experts” .
- Compensation Committee – Member .
- Board leadership and process:
- Lead Independent Director: Matthew E. Rubel .
- Executive sessions: CEO excused for a portion of each board meeting to enable independent director discussion .
- 2024 meeting cadence: Board (8), Audit (4), Compensation (5), Nominating & Governance (3) .
- Attendance: All directors attended at least 75% of aggregate board and committee meetings in 2024 .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | 4 |
| Compensation | Member | 5 |
Independence, audit financial expert designation, and consistent attendance support board effectiveness and investor confidence .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Year | Cash Fees | Structure Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $59,000 | Cash fees paid to Hong in 2024 (includes base retainer and any committee/special stipends) |
Director pay structure (policy-level):
- Annual cash retainer: $50,000 for non-employee directors (ex-Jefferson Gramm) .
- Committee stipends: Audit Chair $15,000; Compensation Chair $10,000; Nominating Chair $5,000; non-chair members $2,000; Lead Director $15,000 .
- Special committees: IT Committee $5,000 (members); Finance Committee $15,000 (chair) / $5,000 (members) .
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Year | Equity Award (Grant-Date Fair Value) | Unvested RSUs Outstanding at 12/31/2024 | Vesting Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $50,000 | 3,306 shares (Hong) | Annual restricted stock equal to $50,000 divided by grant-date price; vests on earlier of 1 year or next annual meeting |
- Performance metrics: None disclosed for director equity; director equity is time-based and intended to align with shareholders .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Prior public company boards | Not disclosed for Hong |
| Interlocks with competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed for Hong; related person transactions disclosed only for director Jefferson Gramm and family-affiliated franchisees/loans |
Expertise & Qualifications
- IT and Risk Management expertise; Senior management leadership; Operations; Public company board service (as a director of JYNT) .
- Engineering degree (West Point) .
- Committee-relevant skills: Audit Committee financial expert designation of all members includes Hong .
Equity Ownership
| Data Point | Value | As Of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 21,148 | Record date Mar 24, 2025 | |
| Ownership (% of outstanding) | <1% | Record date Mar 24, 2025 | |
| Unvested director RSUs | 3,306 | Dec 31, 2024 | |
| Stock ownership guidelines (Directors) | 2x annual cash retainer within 5 years | Policy | |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibited (no short sales, hedging, options, or pledging/margin) | Policy |
Section 16 compliance: The company reported delinquencies for two officers (not Hong); no delinquent filings noted for Hong in 2024 .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with dual Audit and Compensation committee service and audit financial expert designation—enhances oversight of financial reporting, cybersecurity/IT risk, and pay practices .
- Strong technology and cybersecurity background (Starbucks, Red Rock Resorts, Discount Tire, Technologent, Learning Care Group) aligns with The Joint’s IT platform initiatives and the board’s special IT committee remit during 2024 .
- Ownership alignment via annual RSU awards and formal stock ownership guidelines (2x retainer) plus prohibitions on hedging/pledging reduce misalignment risk .
- Attendance threshold met; board conducts executive sessions each meeting, supporting independent oversight .
-
Potential Watch Items
- 2024 cash fees exceeded the base $50,000 retainer (actual $59,000), reflecting committee/special stipends; while within policy, investors may monitor special committee fees to ensure they remain tied to incremental workload and not structurally inflationary .
- No Hong-specific related party transactions disclosed; broader related person activity centered on another director (Gramm) is monitored by the Audit Committee under the related party policy .
-
No Red Flags Identified
- No disclosed related-party transactions involving Hong; no pledging/hedging permitted; independence affirmed; attendance adequate .